Hosiery



`Patented Aug. 10, 1937 PATENT rOFFICE.

nosIERY Robert E. Davis, Fort Payne, Ala., assignor to W. B. Davis & Son, Inc., Fort Payne, Ala., a corporation of Alabama Application `lune 3, 1936, Serial No. 83,344

6 Claims.

The object of this invention is to provide a stocking with a novel rib top having therein an integral all over elastic garter effect so that the stocking may be worn and'kept in place on the leg of the wearer without the need of using auxiliary garter means.

A further object of this invention is to provide the rib top with an inlaid rubber yarn extending spirally of the top throughout the entire length l0 thereof, the beginning and the end of the rubber yarn being fastened or anchored securely in the rib top. A still further object of this invention is to make the rib top from a plurality of textile yarns with a knitting spiral of a like plurality of courses, so that the rubber yarn inlay courses will be separated from each other by the plain knit rib courses.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view showing a mans half hose containing my novel top and Fig. 2 is a detail view of a portion of the top showing the knitted stitches.

It has been customary in providing garter top socks or stockings to inlay a rubber yarn, known in the trade as rubber or Lastex, uncovered or covered with a textile wrapping in successive rib courses on a single feed ribber for a number of courses, the number being relatively few in cornparison to the number of courses in the entire top. This rubber or elastic thread is' usually placed near the upper edge of the top and extends for about a half to three quarters of an inch. It has been customary to make the socks of less than their normal length in the leg, as with a normal length sock, the rubber insert provided would be positioned near the calf of the leg of the wearer and the insert was not effective at this point. Accordingly the socks were made shorter in the leg so that the garter insert would be effective, on a narrower portion of the leg, in retaining the sock in position. Such short length socks are objectionable in that when the wearer crosses his legs the uncovered portion of his leg above the short sock is usually brought into view, beneath the trouser legs. Furthermore the garter eiect, produced'by placing the inlay in successive rib courses for a short distance, is too tight and binds the leg. Again it stretches less than the remainder of the rib top in which nol rubber is incorporated. Apparently this cannot be overcome lby placing less initial tension upon the rubber yarn, as then it extends in an unsightly manner from and be- 55 tween the wales of the rib top.

(Cl. (i6-172) I have overcome the above objections and have provided 'a normal length sock in which there is anrall over elastic garter eiect in the rib top without the garter being too tight. I can if I desire make the sock of lessor more than normal length when it is necessary for style purposes. It is understod that my invention relates to the rib top and that the same may be used upon any type of stocking, hose or sock or that the same may be used in any manner in which a rib top or like fabric may be used.

In Fig. 1 at I is shown a mans half hose having my novel top 2 thereon. It will be seen that the rubber yarn 3 extends spirally throughout the top 2 being anchoredl at points 4 and 5 in a manner to be described.

In Fig. 2 the detail of the stitches shows that the top is made of separate yarns 6, l, and 8 each fed at a separate feed on a three feed ribber. The knitting is done on a three course spiral, that is the courses comprising the entire top are knit of the separate yarns in regular and repeating the sequence ,on the three feed machine. Following the feed at which yarn 6 is knitted the rubber yarn 3 is laid in in the usual manner between the cylinder or plain stitches inl wales 9, I0, II, and I2 and the dial or rib stitches in wales I3, I4, I5, and I6. 'Ihe knitting continues as shown in Fig. 2 with the rubber being inlaid for the entire rib top including the welt and the loose courses. The knitting is preferably done with a loose stitch to allow for expansion with the rubber. The tension on the rubber at the machine is adjusted so that the rubber yarn is under slight' tension in the nished rib top. I have disclosed the use of a three feed machine with the rubber every third course, but obviously a machine with a different number of feeds might be used, say two, or four, or even five textile yarn feeds with the rubber fed andinlaid at one or at more than one spaced feed. In such a' case the rubber course would be spaced in accordance with the number of textile yarn feeds used.

During the making of the welt the rubber yarn is inlaid and the tuck stitches used in making the welt secure or anchor the rubber yarn at 4. When the successive tops are separated from each other, the rubber yarn is 'cut above the point 4.

As usual the rib top is transferred to the needles of a plain machine or footer to make the leg and foot of the stocking. This is done by transferring the loose course of the rib top to the needles of the footer and then ravelling back course. the ends of the rubber may terminate below the welt and above the loose course,'say

a course or two before thewelt and the loose 15 course. In this event the ends of therubber will be anchored by interknitting with the fabric for a few stitches by means well known to the tradeo f It will be apparent that I have provided a 2o novel rib top for hosiery and that the same may be'modied or Achanged without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in thescope of the appended claims.

I claim:-

- 25 1. A tubularstockinghaving a single wall rib top and a single course spiral planrleg said top comprising courses containing plain and rib wales, said courses being knitof separate yarns in regular and repeating sequence, and a spiral so eiesae thread may between the plain and rib wales only in thecourses knit of one of said yarns substantially throughout the tp.

2. A tubular stocking having a. single wall rib top and a singlecourse spiral plain leg said top 35 comprising courses containing plain and rib wales, said courses being knit of at least three sepai rate yarns in regular and repeating sequence, and a spiral elastic thread inlay between the plain t and rib wales only in the courses knit of one 4o of said yarns substantially throughout the top. 3. A tubular stocking having a single` `wall rib aoasso top and a single course spiral plain leg said top comprising courses containing plain and rib wales, said courses being mit of separate yarns in regular and repeating sequence, and a spiral elastic thread inlay between the plain and rib wales only in the courses knit of one o said yarns substantially throughout the top, vone end of the elastic thread being secured in.l the welt courses'of the rib top.

4. A tubular stocking having a single wall rib top and a single course spiral plain leg said top comprising courses containing plain and rib wales, said courses being knit of separate yarns in regular and repeating sequence, and a spiral elastic thread inlay between the plain and rib wales only in the courses knit of one of said yarns substantially throughout the top, one end of the elastic thread being secured at the upper end of the rib top.

5. A tubular stocking having a single wall rib top and a single course spiral plain leg said top comprising courses containing plain and rib wales, said courses being knit of separate yarns in regular and repeating sequence, and a .spiral elastic thread inlay between the plain and rib wales only in the courses knit of one of said yarns'substantially throughout the top, one end of the elastic thread being secured at the lower end of the rib top.

6. A tubular stocking having a single wall rib top 'and a single course spiral plain leg said top comprising courses containining plain and ribl wales, said courses being knit of separate yarns in regular and repeating sequence, and a spiral elastic thread inlay between the plain and rib wales only in the courses knit of one of said yarns substantially throughout the top, one end of the elastic thread being secured at the upper end of the rib top and the other end being secured at the lower end of the rib top. l,

. T E. DAVIS.' 

